When I am hospitalized because of dengue and I need a blood donor, CPAP helped me.

 LIVELIHOOD500 pesos of load

With the help of CPAP and Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicines (PARM), through Ms. Lei Asuque, they gave us a retailer sim to our CPAP Officers.

 ASSISTIVE DEVICE
Quad cane

When I was schooling in 2005, 2007-08. With the help

of CPAP and Tahanang Walang Hagdan through Sr. Valeriana. They gave me a quad cane to support my walking .

 D. Out look in Life

Before in our house I was treated as nobody just an

existence. Then when I became a member and was given ID’s for PWD it changed the way I was treated in our house. They are now treating me as family member.

Also the people inside our village like officials and authorities through my ID. They already know me.

I WAS GLAD I JOINED CPAP

Before Cerebral Palsied Association’s Inc. (CPAP) inception on September 22, 1993, I was already invited to join to be one of its founding board members. I told George Orogo, one of the founding board members that I would join CPAP not as a founding board member but as an ordinary member.

The very reason I was hesitant to join CPAP then was because I did not want to be associated with persons who have cerebral palsy. After having an operation at the age of five years old and having been rehabilitated, completed by studies until college gave me the thought that I am a normal person already. I said to myself- Why would I join CPAP?

I imagined if I would join CPAP, I would be exposed to a lot of people who ridicule me because of my disability. I would be in a group that would a stigma – that group who could not contribute positively in nation building.

Finally, in July 1997 I heeded the request of Charito M. Manglapus (also a person with cerebral palsy) to join CPAP. I was elected President the following year. Upon my assumption as President, I was exposed to a lot of persons with disabilities. I began to understand what a person with disability has gone through. I learned about the laws that empower persons with disabilities. Laws like R. A 7277 and BP 344 are being advocated so that persons with disability like can have an equal opportunity with a person without disability in the mainstream of society. It also changed my attitude towards my disability and other persons who have disability.

The following year, I was elected President of CPAP. The Board of Directors approved advocacy about cerebral palsy as our project. Being a self supporting association, we leaned on solicitation from government, non-government organizations, families and friends and by networking with other organizations to support our novel project. I was sent to a two-week Independent Living Study Program in October of 1997. There I learned to assert my rights as a person with disability, which I shared with my fellow persons with cerebral palsy and other cross disability groups when I came back from the Independent Living Study Program in Japan in 1997.

In 2005, I was sent to Denmark to attend a four-month cross disability school. I was one of the two Filipino representatives. We shared our experiences as PWD Leaders with PWD Leaders from other countries like Nepal, Ghana and Africa. Especially I was one of the proponents of Proclamation No. 588, also known as the Cerebral Palsy Awareness and Protection Week, promulgated last March 25, 2004. We shared how we lobbied for Proclamation No. 588.

In 2011 when I got sick, through CPAP, I was able to get a partial financial help from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for my hospital expenses at Philippine Heart Center. Even before I got sick PCSO was helping me with my monthly check-up and maintenance medicines for my high blood pressure. Philippine Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) also gave me a grant of 10 sessions physical therapy in 2011.

While in January this year, I was given a grant by Leonard Chesire Foundation, Inc. with some blank DVDs and CDs for my Audio/Video Transfer business.

That is how CPAP has helped changed my attitude and formed me into what I am today.